Improvement in car-axle couplings



G. M. KIMBALL. Oar-Axle Coupling.

No. 198,747. Patented Jan. 1, 1878.

MFETERS, FHUTD-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED .STATEs PATENT OEEIcE.

CHARLES M. KIMBALL, OF BRADFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-AXLE COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,747, dated January1, 1878; application filed September 18, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES M. KMBALL, of Bedford, of the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented. a new and usefulImprovement in Couplings for divided I Axles of Railway-Cars; and dohereby declare the same to be described in the following specificationand represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is aside elevation; Fig. 2, alongitudinal section, and Fig. 3, a transversesection of the two parts of a divided axle and my improved couplingtherefor. Fig. 4 is an inner side view of one of the parts of theconnecting-be'aring, to be hereinafter described.

My invention consists in a coupling composed of two chamberedsemi-cylinders, and of a surrounding sleeve or helix ShIllllk or drivenon them, and having a length, such as, when the wheels are fixed inplace on the divided axle, will admit of it, the said sleeve, being slidor moved 'endwise on either division of the axle, so as to fully uncoverthe two semicylinders, in order to admit of their removal fordisconnecting the said divisions.

In the drawings, A and B are the two parts or shafts of a divided axle,each of which,

when in use, is to have a car-wheel fixed to it,

at or near its outer end. At its inner end each of such parts has acylindrical head, at. These heads are arranged in two chamberedsemi-tubes, O O, which, when together, en compass the heads and theshafts A B for a short distance from each of the heads. To hold the twoparts of the box in conjunction and open the shafts, I employ a tube orsleeve, D ,made of a flat bar of metal bent in ahelix, as shown. By soforming the sleeve, the grain of the metal is made to run in a directionaround the box, whereby the sleeve is rendered much stronger than itwould be were the grain to run longitudinally in it. The helical sleevecan be heated andshrunk on the box without that danger of breaking thesleeve while it is in the process of contracting upon the box which isincident to a sleeve having the grain running lengthwise of it. Eachsemi-tube, G or O, has a chamber or broad groove formed crosswise in it,as shown in Fig. 4, such being to receive the two heads a a, in manneras shown in Fig. 2, each head, with its shaft or axle portion, beingfree to revolve in the two semitubes. Thus each of the shafts canrevolve within the box independently of the other, whereby each wheelcan so revolve, especially while the two may be running on a curve of arailway.

I do not claim what is termed a divided axle, composed of two shaftscoupled together, so that one can turn independently of the other.

Nor do I claim, in such an axle, a sleeve to encompass the coupling andthe two divisions and to extend from one wheel nearly to the other suchbeing as shown in the United States Patent No. 14,747, in which case thesleeve cannot be moved so as to uncover the coupling while the wheelsare fixed on the axle. With my improvement there is no necessity ofremoving a wheel from the axle to effect uncoupling of the two parts ofthe axle. The helix is better than a solid tube for a sleeve, as it willaccommodate itself to and fit tight on the parts circumscribed by it.

Nor do I claim a shaftcoupling, constructed as represented in the UnitedStates Patent No. 34,7 69, for in such construction neither shaft canrevolve in the coupling independently of the other, the two being heldby a tongue and grooves from revolving within the coupling. In myimproved construction, each axle portion, A or B, can turn in thechambered tubes 0 0 independently of the other, as before mentioned.Furthermore, the shaftcoupling of the said Patent N 0. 34,769 has nohelix about the semi-tubes, as in my axle-coupling; such helix beingproductive of advantage over a simple solid sleeve.

I claim- 1. My improved divided axle-coupling, consisting of the twosemi-tubes, chambered as described, and of a surrounding helix, drivenor shrunk upon them, all being substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the axle portions A B and the semi-tubes G G,constructed and applied as described, a sleeve, D, separate from each ofthe said axle portions, and driven on such cylinders and having a lengthto enable it to be moved endwise off them when the wheels are fixed onthe axle, all being as specified..

CHARLES KIMBALL.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, JOHN R. Snow.

